In June of 2016 Christina Grimmie was murdered while signing autographs for fans following a performance in Orlando.
Coming as it did just one day before the Orlando nightclub massacre, Grimmie’s death set off shockwaves of grief and fear, with fans mourning not only the loss of the spirited 22-year-old, but also the loss of what she might have become.
So no matter how many times it happens, it always comes as a surprise when Grimmie is left out of a memorial segment on major award show.
First, Grimmie was snubbed by the Emmys, and now her fans are expressing outrage once again, as Christina was left out of the in memoriam segment of last night’s Grammy awards.
The lives of numerous music legends came to an end in 2016 and the Grammys paid tribute to David Bowie, Prince, and George Michael over the course of the evening.
When it came time for the montage honoring all those who passed, however, Grimmie’s name and image were glaringly omitted.
Fans immediately took to social media to express their displeasure:
“Hey, remember when Christina Grimmie was murdered outside of her show? Cause apparently no memoriams do,” tweeted one viewer.
“It’s a shame they didn’t add Christina Grimmie in the ‘In Memoriam’. That girl was so good to her fans & had a VOICE!” wrote another.
Grimmie was a contestant on NBC’s The Voice, and she was just starting to establish a fan base and a distinctive solo career when she was tragically gunned down.
Despite her youth, Grimmie had a tremendous impact within the entertainment industry and stars such as Ellen DeGeneres and Adam Levine publicly paid tribute in the days following her death.
Levine even offered to pay for Grimmie’s funeral and described working with the young songstress as a once in a lifetime experience.
Shortly after her death, Billboard magazine published an open letter to congress demanding more stringent background checks prior to gun sales.
More than 200 recording artists signed the letter, including Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr.
Needless to say, Grimmie’s influence stretched well beyond the world of music.
And her fans are justified in their outrage over the lack of proper respect for her memory.
